


The Deepest Secret Nobody Knows

by LUCKYWARRIORS (voidpacifist)



Series: Awtto Shorts [2]
Category: Waterparks (Band)
Genre: Cute Ending, Deaf Character, Light Angst, M/M, waking up together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:28:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27542350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voidpacifist/pseuds/LUCKYWARRIORS
Summary: They're growing old together, just like they promised.disclaimer in the notes!
Relationships: Awsten Knight/Otto Wood
Series: Awtto Shorts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1785724
Comments: 10
Kudos: 22





	The Deepest Secret Nobody Knows

**Author's Note:**

> hi, I feel like it's stupid that I need to clarify this, but I'm going to anyway - nothing in the stories I write is EVER meant to romanticize, aestheticize, or fetishize anything. if you have a problem with anything I've written, please just tell me and I'll delete it! do not take this shit to social media. there's a reason my handles are entirely different from each other, and for people to @ me and then make a bullshit excuse about how it's "not to cancel" is not only untrue, but also a huge violation of my privacy. if you already have my handles, dm me about an issue. and if you don't, leave a comment. thanks!
> 
> disclaimer: this is fiction purely for fictions sake. not a projection onto real people, the characters are treated as just characters. be nice.
> 
> companion fic to "Whatever a Sun Will Always Sing is You."

Snow is non-existent in Texas, but when Awsten Knight wakes up pressed against Otto Wood, it's hard to be disappointed. His boyfriend is nestled beneath his chin, cheek pressed to his collarbone and snoring loudly. It's enough noise to wake anyone within a mile of the house, but it's Otto's noise, so Awsten will put up with it. His hand is under Otto's shoulder, and although he's grateful to have his hands on Otto, he's not particularly fond of the way it's fallen asleep. He moves it gently from under the man, who stirs but doesn't wake.

Awsten wonders what it's like being deaf _and_ a heavy sleeper. He can't imagine it, waking up to no sound. Still, he ventures to guess it must have been nice for Otto to fall asleep to a quiet bus, even while the rest of the band and crew were partying to a game of Smash or MarioKart. 

It isn't him wishing he _were_ deaf, because a world without music and laughter and noise would be...well, he doesn't know what it would be. Certainly not sad, but certainly enough to drive him insane. Then again, he's had an entire life with sound. Otto's only had five short years of it. So does it make it ignorant for Awsten to dread the idea of losing his hearing?

Probably. He shuts off his racing brain promptly as Otto's eyes flutter open and squint up at Awsten. The younger smiles, and Otto smiles back. "Mornin' angel," he murmurs, butchering the articulation; but it's enough for Awsten's heart to do somersaults and for his grin to get impossibly bigger. He blushes. It's still surreal how not one week ago, they were two oblivious best friends with no soulmate markings and no certainties. And now, here they are - with wrists covered in script and their bodies molded together.

"Morning," Awsten croaks, hoping that Otto can feel the rumble of his voice. He must, because his smile widens, too. 

It's Christmas. There's no frost, no trees outside covered in white, sparse decoration, but Awsten woke up to the prettiest sight anyway. He reaches his face closer to Otto's to peck him on the forehead, and Otto murmurs something incoherent as he does.

Truthfully, most of what Otto says is completely indecipherable unless you've known him for a very long time. Awsten thinks eight years is definitely long enough, but even then Otto will catch him by surprise when he says something and Awsten will have no idea what it was. At that point, they usually resort to Sign again. Otto takes it in stride, though he used to be horribly embarrassed to speak in front of him. He claims that "speech therapy only went so far" whenever anyone asks why he doesn't just talk since he's had years of it.

It _did_ only go so far, but it's enough. Awsten loves it when he speaks, even if he can't tell what Otto's saying. His soulmate knows this full well. That doesn't stop the blush from creeping onto his cheeks whenever Awsten signs back, _Your voice is beautiful._

He's said it's better than any song he's ever written, and he still means it years later.

 _ **What was that, babe?**_ Awsten asks, making sure they're both sitting up so Otto sees him talking. Otto's face reddens, and his shy hands respond, **_Merry Christmas._**

Awsten's smile is hurting his face. He surges forward to catch the drummer in a quick, hard kiss. Otto giggles into the gesture, and as Awsten backs away, he throws a **_cutie_** at his boyfriend. They both fall into giggles, blushing madly until Awsten falls clear off the couch, taking a few blankets with him. Otto laughs even harder. 

He wonders if they woke Otto's parents with all their antics. Probably. But it's high time they open presents anyway.

Otto takes his arm in his grip and starts lifting him off the floor, but Awsten knows better than to go without a little more fun, so he yanks as hard as he can muster with sleep still holding onto him. Otto comes tumbling into him and Awsten catches him in a hug. They're both laughing now.

"Boys?" a voice says in a playful scold from the doorway to the living room. Awsten's head snaps up to meet the smiling face of Mr. Wood. Otto peers up at his dad as soon as he feels Awsten's neck turn. _**Go make your mother some coffee**_ ,he signs, eyes going wider in fake horror. _ **She'll kill us all if she has to open presents without it.**_ Otto snorts, but gets up off the floor, stretches, and pads into the kitchen anyway. Awsten gets up too, busying himself by making the blankets on the pull-out couch nice again. Otto's dad clears his throat.

"How'd y'all sleep?" he asks, and Awsten suddenly feels self-conscious. "Alright," he responds. "Always hard to on Christmas Eve, huh?" This get's a small grin from Mr. Wood, and Awsten counts that as a win. "Always," he says back, bemused. 

The first time Awsten met Otto's parents was shortly after the release of _Cluster._ They'd been apprehensive to let Otto be in a group with people they'd never met before, and Awsten understands the apprehension. He also understood that _they_ understood that Otto isn't a child anymore, not as vulnerable. Still, he supposed it was understandable for them - he wondered what kind of ableism Otto had grown up with, but he never ventured to ask. Imagining it was enough to make his stomach turn and his head inflate with angry sentiments.

He knew they were worried that Awsten and Geoff would be a couple of ignorant assholes who only wanted to exploit Otto's talents and market off of his disability. Obviously, that never happened.

Still, the dinner consisted of an interrogation session from both Mr. and Mrs. Wood, and Awsten was honestly thankful when Otto finally cut his parents off, assuring them that the questions were unnecessary. They still kept Awsten and Geoff on short leashes for a long time, but eventually they softened until Awsten felt like he was an extension of their family - like an extra limb or something. 

Otto had met Awsten's parents, of course. As soon as Ginny and Roscoe heard about this fascinating new drummer who was making Awsten happier than he'd been since his sixteenth birthday, they invited (demanded) him for dinner. Conversation was slow - Awsten could see how lip-reading became infinitely more complicated through mouthfulls of food, but it didn't stop Otto from laughing at his dad's stupid jokes, or paying attention when Gracie regaled high school stories, or blushing heavily every time Awsten's mom commented on his bone structure. Communication had been fairly one way, but Otto hadn't minded, and even commented to Awsten when they were alone that he'd come back and do it again if he could.

They'd been at the pen and paper stage at that point - with Awsten overenunciating so he _looked_ understandable and Otto writing his thoughts on a small memo pad. 

They're past that now, of course. It's clear as Otto steps into the room with three coffees, leaning over to kiss Awsten's cheek as he scrolls aimlessly on Twitter. His mentions have been blowing up for days, even since he announced his getting together with Otto. They're all very sweet, the fans, if not overly curious. They remind him of puppies as they storm into his notifications, wagging their tails, wondering about everything.

Awsten peers up at Otto and smiles. He's handed the middle mug, and he mouths a _thank you._ Otto grins and sets another mug on the side table by his dad's rocking chair - Mr. Wood has fallen asleep again. _So that's where he gets it from,_ Awsten thinks as Otto disappears down the hall to his parents' bedroom. 

Eventually, Mrs. Wood reappears from the hall with Otto, and at that point, it's safe to say that the present opening can begin. Otto wakes his dad with a poke, and they all gather on the carpet around the tree. Awsten offers to pass out gifts, and Otto joins in. When they sit back down together with their _own_ pile of gifts, Otto takes Awsten's hand gently and leans into him. Awsten's heart flutters, and he knows Otto can feel it beating wildly.

The exchanging of gifts is a quiet one, save for the _thank you_ s that are passed back and forth in speech and Sign. When it's finally Awsten's turn to open his presents, he isn't sure how to feel. He knows that Mr. and Mrs. Wood are comfortable with him, but he wasn't expecting them to get him anything. From Mrs. Wood, he receives a knit sweater and a pair of ugly socks. From Mr. Wood, he receives a collection of horror films on Blu-ray ("Holy shit- I mean, I uh... _thank_ you, this is so cool!").

And then he gets Otto's gift. 

He knew he would cry today, no matter what Otto got him, because it's his first Christmas gift from him as his _boyfriend._ As his soulmate. That feeling of first-ness, newness - it still hasn't left. It's wrapping fingers into his heart as he unwraps a small box. Mrs. Wood is grinning at Otto, whose expression only says _don't ruin the moment._

It looks like a ring box. It _is_ a ring box.

He's not- he's not proposing.

Is he?

Awsten opens it carefully, hands shaking. The ring inside is made of some sort of blue resin - little yellow flowers have been molded inside of it. It's perfect - it's all of Otto's colors from all the songs Awsten ever wrote about him. He can feel himself starting to collect tears as he looks to his soulmate. "Otto?" he barely breathes, and Otto's just sitting there, smiling at him with those puppy-dog eyes of his. He picks up Awsten's hand and slips it onto his ring finger, right where a wedding band should be.

"I will buy a _real_ ring," he warbles, "when I marry you."

Awsten's crying. Mrs. Wood is crying. Mr. Wood looks ready to. Otto takes Awsten's face in his hands and presses their lips together. Awsten is muttering _I love you_ s into the kiss, and Otto grins when he feels it. 

Nothing beats Otto's gift to Awsten. Even at supper, when they're all eating and playing cards and sipping on hot chocolate, Awsten still runs his fingers over the band on his finger, smiling to himself. Otto notices, of course he does. Throughout the rest of the evening, they hold hands under the table and daydream about the day the plastic ring will become a real one.

Awsten couldn't have asked for a better Christmas.


End file.
